“It was a really nice event all around, and it was a special moment for all the guys that showed up,” Slash reflected. “It was a nightmare going into it, but when it actually happened it was like, ‘This is pretty cool.'”

According to Slash, it was actually Axl’s letter that inspired the band to reconvene on the Hall of Fame stage. “The funny thing is we never would have played had he never written it,” he chuckled. “I think at one point he alluded he was at least going to go, and so we hadn’t really prepared to play at all. We were just going to show up as almost an obligatory thing — more for the fans than anything. But that letter set a fire that was like, ‘Okay, (bleep) it. We’re going to go play.’ So it really almost didn’t happen. And if it hadn’t been for that special letter, it wouldn’t have.”

Ultimately, in spite of all the years of bitterness and turmoil leading up to the ceremony, the performance was a positive experience. “Going up there you feel very much part of something that is bigger than…all the stories, drugs, the fights and this and that and the other,” he explained. “There was a body of a music that had a significant impact. When you think about where we come from, which is really like sort of the back alleys of Hollywood and being just scourges of the neighborhood…it was like, ‘Wow. It was a pretty big thing we ended up doing.'”

Welcome back to Ultimate Classic Rock

It appears that you already have an account created within our VIP network of sites on .
To keep your personal information safe, we need to verify that it's really you.
To activate your account, please confirm your password.
When you have confirmed your password, you will be able to log in through Facebook on both sites.

Welcome back to Ultimate Classic Rock

It appears that you already have an account on this site associated with . To connect your existing account just click on the account activation button below. You will maintain your existing VIP profile. After you do this, you will be able to always log in to http://ultimateclassicrock.com using your original account information.